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Woman, 36, charged after having baby fathered by 11-year-old boy

David Gago

A New Zealand woman is to appear in court after she gave birth to a child with a primary school aged boy.

A Child, Youth and Family Services spokesperson confirmed CYFS was involved with the case and the 36-year-old woman was facing criminal charges.

However, because of the sensitivities around the case CYFS would not confirm details or even the charges the woman faces.

The boy, from Auckland, is understood to have been 11 when the woman had sex with him and is now 12. It is understood the boy was friends with the woman's son.

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The woman coerced the boy into repeated sexual encounters over a period of time before becoming pregnant.

The boy is understood to have told the principal of his school, who alerted police and CYFS. CYFS would not confirm if the baby had been removed from the mother and taken into care.

If the age of the boy is confirmed, it would make him the youngest known father in New Zealand.

Records of the age of fathers is not consistently recorded and reported on in New Zealand.

As many as 5000 births each year fail to record the name of any father.

However, according to Statistics New Zealand in 2008 there were 11 fathers aged under 15. In 2007 there were 15 fathers under 15. In 2006 there was one mother aged 11, the youngest age on record. In 2007 there was one 12 year old mother.

Last year a 45-year-old Hamilton woman was jailed for 22 months for having sex with a 15-year-old boy. The woman, who has permanent name suppression to protect the identity of her victim, seduced the boy when he had run away from home and was looking for somewhere to spend the night. The boy went to her home because he knew the woman's daughter.

Despite the boy's protestations, the woman removed his shirt, jeans and underwear, then had sex with him, the court heard.

He got dressed and left straight after the attack.

The incident is only one of a handful that has gone through the courts since law changes that treat men and women equally as sex offenders were passed more than six years ago.

Though the woman was given name suppression, Judge Connell said it was a close-run thing and "the public should be aware she could well be a predator in terms of this sexual offending".

At the time clinical psychologist Luanda Young said she would not be surprised if the case was "just the tip of the iceberg" and there would be more incidents of older women preying on boys.

"With females it's more common so the disclosure is easier... With young males it's not, so it's more difficult," she said.

Despite it being a one-off, she said it would have a definite impact on the boy.

At his young age it could skew his sexual and emotional development, as well as his personal identity.

CHILDREN EXPLOITED

May 2009: A 36-year-old mother of two was sentenced to a year of home detention, and 200 hours of community work for having sex with her best friend's 15-year-old son.

April 2007: A woman who had sex with two underage boys in a cowshed was found guilty on six counts of sexual violation and jailed for three years.

December 2005: Solo mother Briar Jayne Dravitski, 23, pleaded guilty in New Plymouth District Court to two charges of performing an indecent act with a boy who was 13 but led her to believe he was 17. She was sentenced to 240 hours of community work and nine months supervision.

April 2003: Swimming instructor Stacey Margaret Friel, 21, was reported to have had sex with a 13-year-old boy. She met him while working as a swimming instructor but did not coach him, so could not be prosecuted as the law had not changed.